John has barely stopped playing Strategic Command World War I since he drew the attention of the world to the demo. Occasionally Alec will try to distract him from the giant, glamorous maps that have become his life by dangling a copy of Super Mega Picross Puzzle Evolved in front of him but, while his catlike reflexes will cause him to swat at the intruding item, he’ll soon return to strategising. I occasionally complain that “there’s something in my eye”, then nudge him in the ribs, jostling him from the Vollmer biography he’s reading, and add “or perhaps I’m just weepy because of the highly emotional ending in this new point and click adventure from Luxembourg.” He is unmoved. Don’t let him see the trailer for the expansion or we may never hear from him again.

I’ve never actually played the Strategic Command games, which is something I feel I should remedy, particularly this one, because I’d like to try my hand at The Great War. As well as loads of new campaigns, the expansion also introduces unit deployment, armoured trains, new supply rules, zones of control and armoured trains. I sometimes like to imagine a future in which armoured trains are the only safe habitats on Earth, probably due to mutants or bandits, or mutant bandits. I command one of the trains, rumbling across America or Siberia, disembarking with a small but brave squad of survivors to scavenge from the ruins of cities.

This expansion probably won’t allow me to live out that dream but it’s out on October 1st and adds a fair amount to the original game, which is required to play.

Did you know The Gaslamp Killer’s new album is also called Breakthrough? It’s the music that would ominously churn from the innards of my train and you should probably listen to it [Spotify link].

SC:WWI is far and away my favorite WWI wargame. Unlike some other turn-based wargames, it doesn’t drown in its own complexity (cf. War in the Pacific), and it doesn’t swing too far toward beer and pretzels either.

I sometimes like to imagine a future in which armoured trains are the only safe habitats on Earth, probably due to mutants or bandits, or mutant bandits. I command one of the trains, rumbling across America or Siberia, disembarking with a small but brave squad of survivors to scavenge from the ruins of cities.

Adam, have you played a game called Transarctica? Or maybe John should try it, tell him it’s a sequel to Syberia ;D